Women at Risk Foundation (WARIF), has been named “Charity of the Year” by The Beat 99.9 FM, radio broadcasting company in Nigeria.
The non-profit organisation has made remarkable progress in reducing the high incidence of rape and sexual violence among young women and girls in Nigeria through its initiatives, in “only two years of its incorporation.”
According to The Beat FM, WARIF was recognised for its outstanding commitment to creating global awareness and advocacy against the growing prevalence of abuse amongst women and girls of all ages in Nigeria.
WARIF has successfully launched several initiatives such as the WARIF Centre, where medical care, counselling and consultation are provided to rape and domestic violence survivors; WARIF Through The Arts, which uses performance arts to create awareness about sexual abuse, The WARIF Educational School Programme (WESP), which educates girls on this prevailing issue across secondary schools, and the WARIF Gatekeepers Initiative, which aims to eradicate gender-based violence in rural areas through education of traditional birth attendants and traditional midwives.
Speaking about the award, Amira Obi-Okoye, Director of Sales and Marketing, The Beat FMsaid, “We have selected WARIF as Charity of The Year because we recognise their great contribution to the reduction of rape and gender violence in Nigeria, an issue that has not been given utmost attention. We hope that this partnership will further encourage WARIF to do more, and provide them with the right platform to reach a wider audience in its call to put an end to the societal issues surrounding gender based violence in Nigeria.”
In response, Founder of WARIF, Dr. Kemi DaSilva–Ibru expressed delight for the recognition of WARIF by The Beat 99.9 FMas the chosen charity for their support.
“We are pleased to be appreciated for our work in making a positive impact in the lives of the many women and girls we have been able to reach. So far, WARIF has recorded over 700 beneficiaries who reached out or visited the centres for clinical treatment, counselling and social welfare services. We are also educating and empowering young girls across Nigeria with the knowledge to identify and prevent sexual violence when faced with it. We acknowledge our dedicated team, who work tirelessly to ensure that the high incidence of sexual violence is reducing significantly. We will not relent in our efforts until rape and sexual violence against girls and women is eradicated in our society”.
Megalectrics Ltd, is the leading radio broadcasting company in Nigeria and are the operators of The Beat 99.9 FM, Classic 97.3 FM, Naija 102.7 FM, Lagos Talks 91.3 and The Beat 97.9 FM., broadcasting thebest quality in class content to listeners across the nation.
The organisation’s support includes the provision of sensitive and highly motivational Public Service Announcements on its flagship station, The Beat 99.9 FM. This station caters for the young audience, who are the most vulnerable and are usually susceptible to these dangers. These announcements will amplify the importance of ending rape and sexual violence in Nigeria, and encourage listeners to call the WARIF 24hour confidential helpline to report and refer possible cases to the WARIF Centre.
